Samsung Factory Riot: Workers, Guards Clash in Vietnam Facility

(Image:HeadlineAsia)
At least 11 people are believed to have been injured in a recent clash at a Samsung construction site in Vietnam. The fight lasted for 3 hours after heated arguments between construction workers and security guards on site. A Vietnamese newspaper reports that 5 people received serious injuries in the event that happened on Thursday.

Among those hurt were guards, construction workers and police officers sent in to break up the fight. The labor riot arose out of a move by the security guards that forbade construction workers to bring meals into the construction site. In their rage, the workers burnt 3 containers used which served as housing for the security guards as well as over 10 motorcycles used by the guards.

Samsung chose Vietnam for its plant due to its lower labor costs as compared to China. The new plant is located at Thai Nguyen province and is set to be the largest Samsung mobile plant globally upon its completion. Construction on the factory began in March 2013 with a budget estimated at $3.2 billion.

In a short post, Samsung plays down the event, describing it as a brief altercation over security protocols.

The first Samsung complex in Vietnam is located in nothern Bac Ninh Province’s Yen Phong Industrial Zone where mobile phones and tablets are manufactured. This facility is valued at $2.5 billion.